Country singer Ella Langley's concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was canceled hours before it was due to start due to a “serious security threat“. The show was scheduled to take place on Oct. 9 at the BOK Center as part of her The Dandelion Tour.
In a statement, the venue said the threat affected “fans, venue staff and the artist“. “The safety and well-being of everyone is our absolute priority and after careful consideration, we have decided that the concert cannot take place,” the BOK Center said. The venue added that information about ticket refunds would be released later.
No details were initially released about the nature of the threat. Later, Tulsa Police Captain Richard Moilenberg said that officers had received a report of possible gunfire and bombs. Police re-checked the BOK Center and the area with explosives-sniffing dogs, but found no credible threat.
According to Moilenberg, law enforcement did not recommend canceling the concert. Police informed the performers' representatives that the checks did not identify a credible threat, after which the decision to cancel the event was made by Langley's team and the organizers. An investigation has been launched into the case, and according to American media, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also assisting in it.
Ella Langley herself apologized to fans in a post on social media. She wrote that the decision was made “under the guidance of local authorities, the venue and my security team,” and acknowledged that she understood the amount of time, travel, money and planning people had put into attending.
“This is not a decision that was made lightly. I refuse to put anyone in danger,” the singer wrote.The cancellation affected a concert on the tour in support of Langley’s second studio album, “Dandelion.” Her next scheduled performance is on October 10 in Lubbock, Texas. There has been no announcement yet about any changes to the remaining tour dates.
Langley, 27, has garnered widespread attention with the song “Choosin’” Texas“, which according to the submitted material spent 22 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In the case of the Tulsa concert, however, there remains a difference between the venue's initial announcement of a “serious threat“ and the police's later position that no credible threat was found during the checks.